History Main / RainbowPimpGear

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is infamous for the disparity in art style between the game's release and every subsequent update. Wearable cosmetic items (or simply "hats") can be combined to personalize players, creating vaguely themed costumes. Alternatively, a player can also end up as an incomprehensibly gaudy mess, be it accidental ("I unlocked Pink as Hell from this crate and by Gabe, I will wear it even if it doesn't match anything!"), to be [[ConspicuousConsumption purposely]] [[{{Troll}} obnoxious]] ("Why, yes, all of my custom-colored items clash, but that just makes me the rich motherfucker who can ''afford'' to!"), as a BadassBoast ("Look at all this eye-blinding lime I'm wearing and you ''still'' can't hit me!"), or some combination thereof. The game also includes "unusual hats", or cosmetics blessed with incredibly rare particle effects, which often exacerbates the issue. There are a few particularly infamous getups:
** The "Demopan" is a Demoman wearing a pirate hat with a little treasure chest on top, reflective shutter shades, a medieval spiked buckler, and [[FryingPanOfDoom a frying pan]].
** The "Gibusvision" is a player (of any class) wearing a crumpled old top hat with a hanging toy ghost, a set of clunky gray goggles ([[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness which makes you see the world as]] [[UltraSuperHappyCuteBabyFestFarmer3000 a cute pastel land]]), and rarely, a bronze recruitment emblem. All aforementioned items are the only ones that are available for free. Hence, most players who wear them are usually considered "clueless newbies" or [[ObfuscatingStupidity pretending to be them]].
* Incredibly egregious in the Facebook game ''It Girl'', considering it's a game about fashion. Each article of clothing is awarded a certain number of "hotness" points, based on how rare and expensive it is, and players may engage in "showdowns" with [=NPCs=] to compare how hot their outfits are. Unfortunately, to max out your hotness points in any given style of clothing, you'll probably end up wearing a yellow minidress with a purple cardigan, silver tights, grey leg warmers, white socks, blue shoes, pink earrings, gold bracelets, a green necklace, and carrying an orange purse. While absolutely no one would ever even begin to think such an outfit is remotely "hot" or fashionable in any context, the game awards far more points to this than to a simple, coordinated outfit that actually looks good to a human observer.
* If you want to win at ''VideoGame/LoveNikkiDressUpQueen'', you're going to have to accept that the best scoring outfits will look hideous.

* The ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' series has abilities wholly tied to clothing, with each piece of clothing being able to have a maximum of four ability slots: one main ability, and up to three sub-abilities that are decided at random as the gear is leveled up. Despite this, the games actually avert this trope as long as the player is willing to grind for a bit.
** In [[VideoGame/Splatoon1 the first game]], while the main ability is specific to each piece of gear and can never be changed, you can "re-roll" the sub-ability slots for different abilities, meaning you can usually get matching clothing with a great set of stats.
** ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' introduced ability chunks, which are gained from "scrubbing" your gear or purchasing them directly from the Deepsea Metro vending machine, and can be used to more easily customize your sub-abilities exactly how you want them on top of the "re-roll" mechanic. While you still can't alter the main ability yourself, you can find gear with an alternate main ability through playing Salmon Run, using the real-world [=SplatNet=] app, or even just checking the usual in-game shops.
** ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' allows you to change the main ability in addition to all of the above, though it naturally requires more ability chunks than it does to swap out sub-abilities.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', undeniably the most universally useful mask overall is the Bunny Hood, which allows you to run at 1.5 times your normal running speed. Of course, it's not so much a "mask" as it is a big doofy pair of yellow bunny ears on Link's head that are visible at all angles, and since it can be obtained as soon as the initial three-day cycle is reset, you will get ''very'' used to seeing Link with big silly ears on his head.
** Link's ultimate equipment in this game are an actual rainbow sword (that's almost as big as he is), and the mirror shield which has a screaming face on it for some reason. Combine those with the bunny hood and you get one of the most bizarre looking setups in the series.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has gear that always comes in a set of three pieces (head, body, legs/feet). Because some gear are bought and others are found, it's quite common for Link to look like a RummageSaleReject until you can get a complete set of clothes. Since some clothes can give bonuses when you wear at least two pieces from its set, Link will look a bit mismatched if you choose to keep him that way.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' lets you equip battlefield items onto any playable character in the game, and sometimes it looks totally ridiculous. Want to give the aforementioned Bunny Hood to Bowser so his jump height will prevent him from falling off the arena? Do it! Want to make a tiny Pichu pick up a giant hammer that makes it go berserk and rapidly whack the hammer with the strength of a gorilla? Great idea!
* ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'' ignores this for body gear, [[InformedEquipment which doesn't change her look]] (barring the Valkyrie Dress and Ex Shovel Armor), but plays it straight for anything that wouldn't replace her dress. You can have Miriam wearing a Santa hat, a stone mask, a rainbow-colored scarf, and golden CombatStilettos. Considering the game also averts NoCutsceneInventoryInertia, it can make the conversations rather silly.

** Some Keyblade designs themselves can verge on this at times, being the only things that [[AvertedTrope avert]] NoCutsceneInventoryInertia. Sure, Keyblades beyond the one you'll start out with will have vastly better stats, but they can occasionally make cutscenes look unintentionally {{narm}}ish when Sora has something like [[http://www.khwiki.com/images/0/0d/Decisive_Pumpkin_KHII.png Decisive Pumpkin]] equipped.[[note]]And that particular one dishes out the highest physical damage in [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII the game]], so you'll see it more often than you think.[[/note]] The numerous BladeLock cutscenes throughout the series have a tenancy to look weird with very short Keyblades and cause clipping issues with long or bulky ones.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' has it especially bad, considering that most of Night City dresses like they picked garments at random from a glam-rocker's wardrobe to start. Your character ending up wearing a grey trilby, lime-green sequinned tank-top, purple hotpants and knee-high aluminium-plated biker boots at some point is more likely than not, but it also won't look ''that'' out of place on the streets of Night City. You can constantly upgrade your gear if you find a set you particularly like, but it will get really expensive to keep your armoured coat on the same level of protection as a Legendary neon green tanktop from the street.

[[caption-width-right:350:At least I don't need to wear the fanny pack."]]

[[caption-width-right350::At least I don't need to wear the fanny pack."]]

[[spoiler:At least I don't need to wear the fanny pack."]]

* Some bicyclists wear bright reflective vests when riding at night. It might clash with their existing clothes, but it makes them easier for automobile drivers to spot when riding on streets shared by bikes and automobiles, [[BoringButPractical reducing the chances of the wearer being flattend by a driver who couldn't see them]]. While flashing LED lights also exist for this purpose, reflective vests are more economical since they don't require batteries to work.

* Some bicyclists wear bright reflective vests when riding at night. It might clash with their existing clothes, but it makes them easier for automobile drivers to spot when riding on streets shared by bikes and automobiles, [[BoringButPractical reducing the chances of a debilitating accident caused by a driver flattening a cyclist that they couldn't see]]. While flashing LED lights also exist for this purpose, reflective vests are more economical since they don't require batteries to work.

* Some bicyclists wear bright reflective vests when riding at night. It might clash with their existing clothes, but it makes them easier for automobile drivers to spot when riding on streets shared by bikes and automobiles, [[BoringButPractical reducing the chances of a debilitating accident caused by a driver flattening a cyclist that they couldn't see]].

* Some bicyclists wear bright reflective vests when riding at night. It might clash with their existing clothes, but it makes them easier for automobile drivers to spot when riding on streets shared by bikes and automobiles, reducing the chances of a debilitating accident.

** ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' introduced ability chunks, which are gained from "scrubbing" your gear or purchasing them directly from the Deepsea Metro vending machine, and can be used to more easily customize your sub-abilities exactly how you want them on top of the "re-roll" mechanic. While you still can't alter the main ability yourself, you can find geat with an alternate main ability through playing Salmon Run, using the real-world [=SplatNet=] app, or even just checking the usual in-game shops.
** ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' allows you to change the main ability in addition to all of the above.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' series has abilities wholly tied to clothing, but is generally able to avert this. Each piece of clothing can have a maximum of four ability slots: one main ability, and up to three sub-abilities that are decided at random as the gear is leveled up. While the main ability is specific to each piece of gear and can never be changed, you can "re-roll" the sub-ability slots for different abilities, meaning you can usually get matching clothing with a great set of stats. ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' onwards offer even more control with the introduction of ability chunks, which are gained from "scrubbing" your gear or purchasing them directly from the Deepsea Metro vending machine, and can be used to more easily customize your sub-abilities exactly how you want them on top of the "re-roll" mechanic. Meanwhile playing Salmon Run, using the real-world [=SplatNet=] app, and even just checking the usual in-game shops can land you the same gear, but with an alternate main ability.

** Before the patch introduced with the PC version of the first game, multiplayer was long dominated by builds combining delicate [[RoyalRapier rapiers]] and [[KnifeNut daggers]], [[LightningBruiser absurdly huge and heavy armor, nimble ninja backflipping]], and comical-looking [[MaskOfPower stat-boosting masks]]. Among the most [[MemeticMutation (in)famous]] of these is the Giantdad build [[https://coubsecure-s.akamaihd.net/get/b44/p/coub/simple/cw_timeline_pic/2e0f3b150d5/1eb4ae10e8978dcd1ab0a/med_1436646083_image.jpg (seen here)]], made of Giant Armor and the Mask of the Father. At least he's somewhat [[BlingOfWar color-coordinated]]. It was even worse in earlier versions of the game, where the most optimal equipment for the pants slot was a ''dress skirt''.

* In ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Online'', equipment can only have certain stats, so it's not always possible to equip an intended set. This is downplayed, however, in that the torso slot covers both shirt ''and'' pants, so as stupid as your character may look, the damage is limited to having odd gloves or [[NiceHat a strange hat]].

** Link's ultimate equipment in this game are an actual rainbow sword (that's almost twice as big as he is), and the mirror shield which has a screaming face on it for some reason. Combine those with the bunny hood and you get one of the most bizarre looking setups in the series.

* ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'' makes it possible to completely avert this. There are many different styles of equipment with identical stats, grouped into three categories -- clothing, light armour, heavy armour -- with weapons and shields being a bit more varied. Combine this with [[CrackIsCheaper cash shop]] dyes (which can be used to dye pretty much anything, including weapons), and it's fairly easy to customize colour and style combinations to create any look you want. And shop items change colours randomly, so you can even create stylish and coordinated ensembles just by waiting until the desired colours are available (although you can't get them all this way, and it can take a long time to get there). However, since all gear, whether dropped, crafted, or purchased from {{NPC}}s, comes in completely random colour combinations (some of them fairly hideous on their own), and since there are many items which exist solely to look silly (such as the "bald wig" and "tree costume"), it is also possible to play this trope straight to [[UpToEleven truly epic levels]].

It's more than just looking like a RummageSaleReject -- the game has to not only show the player the full clothing combination (so no InformedEquipment), but also provide a real advantage to equipping this particular clothing combination (whether intentionally [[GoodBadBugs or not]]). If a game has it ''really'' bad, there may be NoCutsceneInventoryInertia, and your Rainbow Pimp Gear could even be seen prominently during an [[{{Narm}} otherwise dramatic cutscene]].

** In ''XIV'', equipment can't be (re)dyed until you hit level 15 in at least one class. Be prepared to have a mismatching wardrobe for a little while, as the colour of equipment from quest rewards and vendors is random. Even after dying is unlocked, there are just some combos of clothes that aren't gonna look good together, even if the colors match. Later on, you gain the ability to cast Glamours on your equipment, changing the appearance into that of other pieces of equipment, allowing you to make any armor match. The developers have since taken note of the trope in ''Heavensward'', where all the gear you can buy from vendors has a visual theme going on and looks quite good if you buy the whole set. Of course, the trope rears its ugly head due to players either not keeping all their gear up to date or are mixing and matching for the sake of optimal stats. This has since been even further averted in ''Stormblood'', where players can now set glamours on their gear starting at level 15. The system will once more be revamped in patch 4.2 to include glamour storage, which the developers hope will finally put the whole RainbowPimpGear trope to rest.

* ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeedUnderground2'' requires you to completely and utterly [[RiceBurner rice your cars out]] to proceed in the game. No matter how fast they may be, no matter how many races they may win, sleepers or JDM-style vehicles won't get you anywhere. It doesn't matter what you slap onto your rides as long as it was expensive. And the more expensive something is, the tackier it is.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' has powerful Phoenix armor that just happens to be bright pink and looks ridiculous on almost anyone who wears it -- especially Wrex, your walking tank party member. It's even funny on Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Williams, even though it's her ''default'' armor in the first two games, just because [[NoCutsceneInventoryInertia she's always wearing it]] when she's holding the DistressBall and basically nowhere else, and because the in-game stats on the ''initial'' set are so awful that most players swap it out as soon as they recruit her.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' when first released was [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/01/02 particularly guilty of this]] due to its pseudo-cartoony style. Items were designed independently of each other, meaning that it was very easy to build an efficient but stupid-looking [[http://wowpedia.org/Clownsuit clownsuit]]. However, it was at its worst with the release of the first expansion, dubbed "Outland Clown Syndrome" after the name of the new expansion zone, Outland. Bright colors, tight pants, and stupid hats abounded. The [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wowpedia/images/1/1a/Burning_Crusade_clownsuit.jpg former page image]] is, horrifically, only a ''slight'' exaggeration. Blizzard got the message, and the gear from the next expansion onwards was designed to mesh well with each other and use [[RealIsBrown more muted colors]]. Blizzard also later included a feature for players to change the appearance of their gear at will.

* ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'' is guilty of this. "Hybrid" or "tribrid" gear for players who wish to use or defend against multiple styles of combat (melee, projectile, and magical) without changing armour will almost always look absurd. Wearing a robe skirt, leather body armor, metal boots and gauntlets, a visored helmet, and a backpack with a chicken in it -- while wielding a salamander -- is ''optimized gear'' for certain activities. The developers tried to fix it by introducing dyes, but they don't work on metal or leather (and are basically just for VendorTrash). They tried to fix it again with the introduction of Solomon's General Store, which offers a sizable number of cosmetic ensembles as well as the Dragon Keepsake Keys, which allow the player to use equipment as a cosmetic covering, but cosmetic gear still won't work in Player vs. Player areas like the Wilderness.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'': a number of the clothing and weapon options look ridiculous as you get to higher levels (for example, the Warrior class gets the aptly-named [[https://miitopia.fandom.com/wiki/Warrior?file=15GarishArmor-removebg-preview.png#Equipment Garish Armor]]), but there's an option to change the appearance of the equipment you're using to make it look like another piece of equipment you have.
** Played straight back in the 3DS version, however, as there wasn't this option to change equipment appearances. Meaning if you wanted better stats, you'd just have to bite the bullet and wear whatever came your way.

This tended to be much more of a problem in the past. Nowadays, developers are wise to the problem, and many games try to circumvent the phenomenon by allowing equipment to be dyed or cosmetically altered so that it looks like another item, implement an EquipmentHidingFashion slot that allows one to override the appearance of stat-affecting equipment with another piece of equipment or simply keep stat-affecting and appearance-affecting equipment completely separate. One other way to counteract this is with the SetBonus, where the best possible clothing combination is by definition a set that matches.

* [=SunWon=] Cho (''a.k.a.'' Creator/ProZD) explores how people would react to this in-universe in [[https://www.instagram.com/p/BODk0wWDdzm/ this]] clip.